January 1
January 1
The euro debuts
New Year’s Day is the dawn of a new era in Europe, as 11 nations adopt a single currency, the euro. Now the official currency of 19 members of the…
A Year In History: 1999
This Year in History:
1999
Discover what happened in this year with HISTORY’s summaries of major events, anniversaries, famous births and notable deaths.
January 3
January 3
Great Lakes region digs out from record blizzard
After three days of high winds and heavy snow, people in the Great Lakes region begin digging out from one of the worst blizzards on record on this day in…
January 7
January 7
Clinton’s Senate impeachment trial begins
On this day in 1999, the United States Senate begins its impeachment trial of President Bill Clinton, the first president to be impeached by the House of Representatives since Andrew…
January 7
January 7
President Clinton’s impeachment trial begins
On January 7, 1999, the impeachment trial of President Bill Clinton, formally charged with lying under oath and obstructing justice, begins in the Senate. As instructed in Article 1 of…
January 13
January 13
Michael Jordan retires for a second time
On January 13, 1999, the National Basketball Association (NBA) superstar Michael Jordan of the Chicago Bulls announces his retirement from professional basketball, for the second time, in front of a…
January 19
January 19
First BlackBerry device hits the market
On January 19, 1999, the first BlackBerry pager, BlackBerry 850, is released. BlackBerry devices go on to drive explosive growth for upstart Canadian producer Research in Motion (RIM), dominating the…
February 2
February 2
Man charged in California cyberstalking case
Weeks after California passed a law against cyberstalking, Gary Dellapenta is charged with using the Internet to solicit the rape of a woman who had rejected his advances. (He pleads…
February 4
February 4
Amadou Diallo killed by police
Plainclothes officers of the New York Police Department’s Street Crime Unit fire 41 shots at unarmed Amadou Diallo, an immigrant from Guinea, killing him on the steps of his apartment…
February 7
February 7
King Hussein of Jordan dies
On February 7, 1999, King Hussein bin Talal, the 20th century’s longest‑serving executive head of state dies, and his son Prince Abdallah bin Hussein ascends to the Jordanian throne. Hussein…
February 12
February 12
President Bill Clinton acquitted on both articles of impeachment
On February 12, 1999, the five‑week impeachment trial of Bill Clinton comes to an end, with the Senate voting to acquit the president on both articles of impeachment: perjury and…
February 24
February 24
Avalanche buries homes in Austria
A massive avalanche in the Austrian Alps buries homes and kills 13 people in Valzur on this day in 1999. The avalanche came only one day after an avalanche in the…
March 7
March 7
Stanley Kubrick dies
On March 7, 1999, American filmmaker Stanley Kubrick dies in Hertfordshire, England, at the age of 70. One of the most acclaimed film directors of the 20th century, Kubrick’s 13…
March 18
March 18
Three women are murdered at Yosemite
On March 18, 1999, a charred rental car in a remote wooded area of Long Barn, Califonia is discovered. A day later, the bodies of Carole Sund and Silvina Pelosso…
March 19
March 19
Bodies found in Yosemite serial killer case
On March 19, 1999, law enforcement officials discover the charred bodies of forty‑two‑year‑old Carol Sund and sixteen‑year‑old Silvina Pelosso in the trunk of their burned‑out rental car, a day after…
March 22
March 22
Cynthia Vigil Jaramillo escapes from suspected serial killer in New Mexico
On March 22, 1999, a 22‑year‑old‑year‑old woman named Cynthia Vigil Jaramillo is found running naked—except for a padlocked metal collar around her neck—down an unpaved road near Elephant Butte State…
March 23
March 23
Thomas Harris delivers Hannibal manuscript
Bestselling author Thomas Harris delivers his 600‑page manuscript for his new novel, Hannibal, to Delacorte Press. He had promised the book more than 10 years earlier as part of a…
March 24
March 24
NATO bombs Yugoslavia
On March 24, 1999, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) commences air strikes against Yugoslavia with the bombing of Serbian military positions in the Yugoslav province of Kosovo. The NATO…
March 31
March 31
“The Matrix” released in theaters
On March 31, 1999, the writing and directing sibling team of Lana and Lilly Wachowski release their second film, the mind‑blowing science‑fiction blockbuster The Matrix. Born and raised in Chicago,…
April 20
April 20
Teen gunmen kill 13 at Columbine High School
On April 20, 1999, two teenage gunmen kill 13 people in a shooting spree at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado, south of Denver. At approximately 11:19 a.m., Dylan Klebold,…
April 20
April 20
Teen gunmen kill 13 at Columbine High School
On this day in 1999, two teenage gunmen kill 13 people in a shooting spree at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado, south of Denver. At approximately 11:19 a.m., Dylan…
